Reflecting back on where it all began, Night Terrors’ Dave Gomez (vocals/bass) cites his biggest influencer as Blue Island’s own, Mest. The combination live energy and performance was enough for Gomez to actually imagine a future in music.

“At a really early age, I knew it was one of those things that if they can do it, then I can do it.”

“Even beyond bands like Blink or Green Day because a lot of people don’t even look at them like people. People look at them as legends, if you will,” Gomez says. “So to see a band from the area actually go on the road and make records? At a really early age, I knew it was one of those things that if they can do it, then I can do it.”

And it’s clear that Night Terrors can do it. Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) bleeds the best of pop punk, with bold strings and hard-hitting percussion perfectly blended with angst-soaked lyrics and Gomez’s commanding vocal vigor.

Not only has the Chicago scene seemingly influenced Night Terrors’ sound—the scene, quite literally, worked its way onto the release itself.

Featuring the likes of Real Friends’ Dave Knox, Bonfires’ Kevin Provencher and 7 Minutes In Heavens’ Alex Rogers, Gomez had the chance to work with a few of his friends—who just happen to be some of the most influential names in Chicago music.

“It’s kind of weird because it was kind of an accident,” Gomez says. “In the Chicago scene, everyone just kind of knows each other. It doesn’t even matter how far away you live—somebody knows somebody who played a show with somebody.”

Those somebodies came together and produced a set of songs that could easily lead the pop-punk pack. And though Night Terrors is just getting started, the final product has been a long time coming. “I started this like honestly three years ago,” Gomez says. “I started really trying to hone in on what I wanted to do with songwriting and stuff like that, what I really wanted to say and what I wanted it to be. It took a long time—it took a very long time—but I feel like it’s all leading up to this point.”

So what’s there to expect looking ahead?

“I’m hoping to take over the world,” Gomez says, laughing. With Melanie/Island (Wasting Away), he simply wanted a release that would produce some kind of feeling. And if these tracks prove anything, it’s that Night Terrors accomplished that and more.

“It was honestly 100 percent just about getting something that 12-year-old me would be stoked on.”

“It wasn’t really about ‘Oh my god, I need to sell a bunch of records or play big venues.’ It was honestly 100 percent just about getting something that 12-year-old me would be stoked on,” Gomez says. “I think lately, for the best, I just really didn’t give a shit. I was just like, ‘I’m going to write what I want to write’ and see where it goes. And because of that, I feel like I made something I’m really proud of.”

Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) proves that Night Terrors has plenty to look forward to. With a new found sound and new music promised for 2017, it’s clear that this is only the beginning.

Pick up Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) on Bandcamp or iTunes, and follow Night Terrors on social using the links below.